Molded back part



March 31, 1942. L, SfMACDQ'NALD 2,277,770

MOLDED BACK PART Filed Dec. 15, 1940 I Fig.4 l

Patented Mar. 31, 1942 MOLDED BACK PART Lester S. Macdonald, Beverly, Mass, assignor'to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 13, 1940, Serial No. 370,037

8 Claims.

This invention relates to shoe uppers and more particularly to molded back parts or quarter assemblies which are preformed to substantially the shape of the heel end of the last.

In the manufacture of certain types of shoes such as womens two-part sandals, the back parts or quarter assemblies consisting of upper,

counter stifiener and lining pieces adhesively secured together are often premolded on a form which is shaped substantially like the heel end of a last. While the back part is on the form, an attaching flange is usually formed by which the back part is subsequently secured to an insole carried on the bottom of a last. Vv'hilethe form on which the back partis premolded may be shaped substantially like the heel end of a last, it has been found impractical to premold the back part in all cases to the exact final shape it is to assume in the shoe owing to the variety of shapes and styles of lasts- Accordingly; while" the premolded back part may haveapproximately the desired shape, it has been found that some, and in many cases considerable, shaping of the back part is required after the premolding operation to cause the back part to conform to the heel end of the last. I

The formation of an attaching flangeon the premolded back part has the advantage that the flange predetermines the position 'of the back part on a last but the flange stifiens the back part so that it resists any change in the shape thereof and dimculty is frequently experienced in making the back part conform exactly to the last. In order to overcome this difficulty it has been suggested (for example in application Se-. rial No. 256,055, filed February 13, 1939, in the name of A. A. Lawson) that the back part be premolded without forming an attaching flange thereon. While such an unfianged unit assembly may be more readily conformed to the heel end of a last, lacking a flange, no means is provided for accurately gaging its position relative to the last.

It is an object of this invention to provide a premolded back part or quarter assembly having a narrow inwardly extending ridge or shoulder above the lower edge thereof which defines the proper lasting margin, the ridge being arranged for engagement by the heel portion of the last, thus overcoming any difficulty in position i ing the back part in the correct relationship to the last. This ridge or shoulder, being quite narrow does not offer any substantial resistance to the conforming of the back part to the last on which it is assembled.

The ridge or shoulder defining; the proper lasting margin is formed by creasing the materials the subsequent formation of an attaching flange after the back part has been assembled on the last requires less force and danger of the upper material being marred or otherwise damaged during the flanging operation is greatly minimized. The lower marginal portion of the back part which extends downwardly from the shoulder may be provided with corrugations to facilitate formation of uniform pleats in a flange to be formed during lasting in aheel seat lasting machine or otherwise.

The shoulder which the last engages may'slope downwardly from the edge of the last and the lower marginal portion of the back part below the shoulder may extend substantially normal to the bottom of the last so that the back part may be readily conformed to the last and so thattwo creases are formed between the upper portion of the back part and the lasting margin. This arrangement provides a gage for positioning the back part on the last and further facilitates the formation of the attaching flange. The reason for this is that instead of making one 90 bend in the material to form the flange, two bends at different points, each substantially less than 90 are made, thus further reducing the danger of damage to the upper material during the flanging' Fig. 1 assembled on a'la'st. t

In Fig. 1, a back part It isillustrated, the back part comprising an upper 12, a lining l4 and a counter stiffener I6 interposed between theupper and lining. Stitching I8 is provided to secure the upper and the lining together along their upper edges and the upper, lining and counter stiffener may be secured together by any suitable counter paste or adhesive. The back part may be premolded to substantially the shape of 4 the heel portion of a last in any suitable manner, as by a machine of the type illustrated in the Lawson application referred to above. The lower marginal portion of the back part is not turned to form an attaching flange during the premolding operation but forms rather a continuation of the sides of the back part, as in the Lawson application, this portion being substantially normalto the bottom of the last after the back part has been assembled therein as shown in Fig. 4, so that the back part may be readily conformed to the last.

In order that the correct position of the back part on the last may be readily obtained, thereby determining the proper lasting margin, without preforming an attaching flange and thus rendering the back part resistant to changes in shape, a circumferential inwardly extending ridge or shoulder 22 is formed, this shoulder being arranged to be engaged by the edge of the heel portion of the last. This shoulder in the form shown in Fig. 1 provides a shallow surface lying in a; plane which is substantially normal to the lower margin 20 (Fig. 4) and extends substantially parallel with the bottom edge. The shoulder is quite narrow compared to the width of the lasting margin and the stiffening effect of this shoulder is negligible compared to that which a .preformed attaching flange would impart to the back part. Accordingly, this shoulder offers 'no appreciable resistance to the conforming of the back part to the heel end of a last but greatly facilitates theproper positioning of the back part on the last.

The shoulder crease 22 may be formed in any suitable manner during the premolding operation as by the addition of the necessary members to the molds of the machine shown in the said Lawson application. The pressure required for this operation renders the materials at the crease sufficiently inert so that resistance to the subsequent formation of an attaching flange after the .back part is assembled on a last is substantially reduced. Accordingly, when the predetermined lasting allowance of the back part is wiped-inthe required wiping force is reduced to such an ,extent that ther is little danger that the upper material will be marred or otherwise damaged.

corrugations 24 may also be formed in the lasting margin of the back part around the end during the premolding operation or at any suitable time to aid in the uniform formation of pleats during thesubsequent. formation of the attaching flange. Fig. 2 illustrates a back part 26 which is substantially thesame as the back part .of Fig. 1 except that the lower marginal portion is arranged to engage does not extend inwardly .in the plane of the last bottom but extends downwardly therefrom at an angle so that there is only .a. line contact between the shoulder and the ,edge of the last which, however, is ample. for assisting in positioning the back part n the last .in the proper relationship. As in Figs. 1 and 2, the lower marginal portion 32 of the back part extends substantially normal to the last bottom and to the plane in which the upper edge of the shoulder lies, and accordingly, this lower marginal portion has to be turned less than relative to the shoulder during the formation of the attaching flange and the shoulder itself will be turned during the lasting of the back part through a small angle. In other words, if the narrow shoulder 30 extends at an angle of substantially 45 relative to the bottom of the last this portion will be turned during initial movement of the wipers of a lasting machine substantially 45 relative to the back part, after which the portion 32 will be turned 45 relativ to the portion 3llso that two different portions of the lasting. margin are each turned 45 in sequence instead of forming one 90 turn as required in lasting the units of Figs. 1 and 2. This arrangement further reduces the force required to wipein the lasting margin during the lasting operation and therefore further reduces the possibility of damaging the upper during that operation. As in Figs. 1 and 2, the shoulder 30 is narrow and does not interfere with the conforming of the premolded back part to the last but does provide a gage for positioning the back part in the desired relationship on the last as well as facilitating the subsequent in-wipe of the lasting margin. The lower marginal portion 32 may or may not be provided with corrugations of the type shown in Fig. 1 as desired.

While the back part or quarter assembly has been illustrated as being of the type used in sandal work, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to separate back parts of this type but is applicable to quarter assemblies for all types of shoes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a quarter assembly for a shoe, said quarter assembly comprising an upper, lining and counter stiffener tion of a last on which the shoe is to be assembled and having a lasting margin defined by a circumferential crease, said margin extending substantially normal to the plane of said crease, said crease forming a shoulder about the interior wall of the quarter assembly arranged for engagement with the edge of the last to position the quarter "assembly thereon for a subsequent lasting operation.

2. As an article of manufacture, a quarter assembly for a shoe, said quarter assembly comprising an upper, lining and counter stiffener molded'substantially to the shape of the heel portion of a last on which the shoe is to be assembled and having a lasting margin defined by a circumferential crease, said margin extending substantially normal to the plane of said crease, said crease forming a shoulder about the interior wall of the quarter assembly arranged for engagement with the edge of the last to position the quarter assembly thereon for a subsequent lasting operation, and corrugations extending heightwise in the lasting margin to facilitate the formation of pleats therein during the lasting operation.

3. As an article of manufacture, a quarter assembly for a shoe, said quarter assembly comprising an upper, lining and counter stiffener molded substantially to the shape of the heel portion of the last on which the shoe is to be assembled, said quarter assembly being formed with a square inwardly projecting shoulder, and a lasting margin extending downwardly from said shoulder substantially normal to the plane thereof.

4. As an article of manufacture, a quarter assembly for a shoe, said quarter assembly comprising an upper, lining and counter stiffener molded substantially to the shape of the heel portion of a last on which the shoe is to be assembled, said quarter assembly being formed with a downwardly sloping shoulder defining a lasting margin, said margin extending substantially normal to the plane of the upper edge of said shoulder, said upper edge of the shoulder being arranged for engagement with the edge of a last to position the quarter assembly thereon for a subsequent lasting operation.

5. As an article of manufacture, a quarter assembly for a shoe comprising upper, counter and lining pieces adhesively secured together and molded substantially to the shape of the heel portion of a last on which the shoe is to be assembled, said quarter assembly having a lasting margin defined by a circumferential crease molded therein arranged to facilitate the subsequent wiping-in of the lasting margin over the bottom of the last.

6. As an article of manufacture, a quarter assembly for a shoe comprising upper, counter and lining pieces adhesively secured together and molded substantially to the shape of the heel portion of a last on which the shoe is to be assembled, said quarter assembly having a lasting margin defined by a circumferential crease molded therein arranged to facilitate the subsequent wiping-in of the lasting margin over the bottom of the last, and heightwise extending corrugations in said lasting margin for facilitating the formation of pleats during said lasting operation.

7. As an article of manufacture, a quarter assembly for a shoe comprising upper, counter and lining pieces adhesively secured together and molded substantially to the shape of the heel portion of a last on which the shoe is to be assembled, said quarter assembly being formed with a square inwardly projecting shoulder defining a lasting margin, said shoulder being arranged for engagement with the edge of the last to position the quarter assembly thereon for a subsequent lasting operation, said margin extending substantially normal to the plane of said shoulder.

8. As an article of manufacture, a quarter assembly for a shoe comprising upper, counter and lining pieces adhesively secured together and molded substantially to the shape of the heel portion of a last on which the shoe is to be assembled, said quarter assembly being formed with an inwardly extending downwardly sloping shoulder defining a lasting margin, the upper edge of said shoulder being arranged for engagement with the edge of the last to position the quarter assembly thereon for a subsequent lasting operation, said margin extending substantially normal to the plane of the plane of the upper edge of said shoulder.

LESTER S. MACDONALD.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,277,770. March 51, 191m.

LESTER s. MACDONALD.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows; Page 2, second column, line 142, claim 1, after "stiffener" insert molded substantially to the shape of the heel porpage 5, second column, line 50, claim 8, strike out "the plane of" second occurrence; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of May, A. D. 1914.2.

Hem"; Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents 

